The Last One Fighting
by Hellbent95
Summary: Donatello is the last remaining Ninja Turtle. The world has been devastated by plague and cancer, and what is left is ruins and gangs. Can Donatello find his long lost brother? For that matter, can he survive? This is my second major Fanfic, and one I'm really committed to. So please, check it out, and leave me reviews to let me know how it's coming along. Rated T for lang
1. Prologue

Chapter 1

Donatello had always been a bit of loner. Always going off by himself, spending night after night in his lab trying to come up with new inventions. Just ways to make life easier, make life a little more bearable. Especially for him and his brothers, and especially after Master Splinter had died.

Master Splinter had been old, and they had all known that his time would come eventually. But they had never expected him to die so suddenly. And even knowing that it would come soon enough, hadn't helped the fact. He had died of a heart attack while he was sleeping, and Donnie was the one that had to tell everyone. He had found him after all.

Noone took it easy. Mikey being the youngest, took it the hardest. He stayed up for nights on end, just in shock the first week, crying himself to sleep the second week, and just laying in bed day after day doing nothing the third. He wouldn't talk to anyone, wouldn't say a word, and wouldn't eat unless it he was forced. Leo didn't take it that hard. He had come to terms with it pretty quickly, and cut ties with him. But noone saw it coming when he left the group. Just up and took off after 2 weeks, he didn't say goodbye. Donnie went to check on him one morning after he had served breakfast to Raph and Mikey, and he was gone. That didn't help Mikey with his coping. Raph being the tough guy never said anything about Splinter dieing. Never got to cope before he died, he ended up being found overdosed on heroine in his bedroom. Donnie found him lying there one night after dinner. He guessed that the heroine was his way of forcing out his feelings. It was how humans did after all.

But Mikey was the hardest for Donatello to get over. It was the one that he never actually come to terms with. Mikey had hanged himself in his bedroom. Wrote a note saying that all the hurt was just too much for him. That all his family was leaving him, and that he couldn't be the last one to live. He couldn't take it. He said sorry to Donnie, and that Leo could go fuck himself.

Now all that was left was Donatello, the last of the ninja turtles. The only one who stayed, and the only one still fighting.


	2. Chapter 1: The Final Goodbye

Chapter 1

"Shit..." Donatello mumbled. "Where the hell did i put it?" He was sprinting around the layer, trying to remain quiet. Looters were rummaging through the place, and he couldn't find his staff anywhere. He was creeping around the layer, trying to be as quiet as possible. But i mean he was a ninja for all his life, so it wasn't that hard.

He walked into Leo's old room, where he had passed out last night. Donnie had made a bad habit of sleeping in each of his brother's rooms, a different one every night. The memories tended to comfort him, and he wanted to remember his brother's fondly.

"Aaaaaaah there it is!" he whispered to himself. Relieved that he had finally found his staff. It was laying down next to the bed, it's purple cloth wrapped around the middle. It was faded from use, practicing his moves and martial arts was all Donnie really had now a days. With his brother's all gone, he was more lonely than ever, and wanted to be in top shape for his journey to come.

"Alright you fuckers..." Donnie mumbled. "...here i come."

He crept down the hallway, and stood in the doorway to the major part of the lair. Where the Lab and living room were located. The looters were looking for anything they could salvage really. They needed the money what they needed to survive. Which in today's society, was ammunition and water. That was the only way to survive.

The first looter was a man, only about 22. His hair was grown out and greasy from lack of means to clean it. With draught a common occurrence in today's society, noone had the means to clean themselves, and barely had the water fight back thirst. Dehydration was the most common means of death in today's society. The second looter was a woman, the first's girlfriend. She had dirty blonde hair and it was greasy just like her boyfriend's. They were both wearing rags, and were on the verge of starvation.

The young man spun around, feeling he was being watched. "Holy shit..." he yelled. But noone was there. "Babe I think someone's here."

"Noone's here. Calm the hell down." she spoke. "Just find something worth some money so we can get the hell out of here."

Donnie was hanging from the pipes above them. Watching as they destroyed his sanctuary. They were throwing everything to the floor. Busting open the screens and smashing vases. Nothing here was anything they could sell. Electricity would be needed, and any power plants still running were taken over by gangs and cults. So power wouldn't make it to sewers, let alone a city.

"Bastards..." he mumbled. He dropped down landed in front of the first looter. He smashed him in the side of the head with his staff, knocking the young man unconscious.

"Holy shit!" the young girl screamed out. "What the hell are you?!" she exclaimed.

"A survivor..."he grumbled, not bothering to turn around to look at her. He swung his arm and staff without turning, the staff making contact with her temple. She fell to the floor, unconscious as well. Donatello had never been the violent one, but things had changed since now. He had to be tough, had to be violent, in order to survive.

Donnie walked to the wall on the far side of the room. His backpack surprisingly undisturbed. _Guess they hadn't seen it yet..._ he thought to himself. He picked it up and swung it over his shoulder.

"It's time to get out of here." he said to himself. Donnie had made a bad habit of doing that as well. With noone to talk to on a regular basis, all he had was himself. And that wad good enough. For now.

Donnie walked through the piping doorway. Walking around the corner he saw, the ladder that had comforted him every day for the last 22 years. He always looked forward to coming down that ladder and seeing his family waiting for him. But today would be the last day he ever saw it.

He walked up to the ladder and took hold of the rung in front of him. He turned around and looked down the piping. Emotions overwhelmed him. Donnie climbed the ladder, but halfway up he stopped. He hung his head down, feeling as though he was abandoning his old life. But today was the day his new life, his pilgrimage, began.

"Goodbye..." he whispered, his voice echoing off the walls around him.

Today he would walk up that ladder for the last time.


	3. Chapter 2: The Disciple

Chapter 2

Donnie stepped out of the sewer hole and hopped off the top rung, using his hands to flip out of the hole. He grabbed the man hole cover and slid it back into its position. Standing back upright he looked around.

"Shit..." he whispered to himself, "...forgot how lonely it was up here." Noone was walking by like they used to just a few years earlier. Newspapers blew down the street, along with old bags and anything left over from the old civilization.

"Alright, here we go..." Donnie reached into his bag and pulled out a map. He traced his finger around the paper, trying to get his bearings. "Hold on...I bet I can get a better view from higher up."

He pointed his hand around, looking for a good spot. Although this was New York, anywhere high up would be good. He traced his finger through the air, until he came to a sky scraper. "How about that one...?" A smirk crossed his face. _Great...it'll be good exercise too. _

Donnie jogged over to a 2-story building next to the sky scraper. "Alright, here we go." He jumped up and grabbed hold of a ledge, pulling himself up. He flipped up into a handstand and grabbed hold of the next ledge up with his feet. He bent at his stomach and grabbed hold of the ledge with his hands and balanced himself on his hands, extending his legs out to either side of him. _Hehe, _he thought, _feel kind of like a gymnast. _

"Shit..." he said. The next ledge up was too far up to grab hold of. Donnie leaned backwards a little, and swung himself forward, head butting the window in front of him. It cracked slightly. "Son of a bitch..." he yelled. He leaned backwards, but shook a little. His arms were beginning to tire. "...One more time." he groaned, and swung forward again. The window shattered on impact. Using his momentum he flipped himself inside and landed on his feet.

Donnie looked around, the place was in tatters. Papers and trash littered the floor, giving the room a look of distress. As if someone had gotten out of there in a hurry. This room had been the library of someone's home. He walked through the room and stepped into the hallway. A night stand was knocked over and a vase shattered next to it. A withered flower lay in the pieces. All the doors of the rooms were opened. Donnie stepped down the hallway, each footstep echoing off the walls of the hallway.

Donnie walked down the hallway, but as he passed the third door to the end, he heard a rustling. He stopped and listened. But heard nothing. Donnie closed his eyes, practicing his ninja skill of Sensory Deprivation. He closed his eyes, effectively lessening his sense of sight in order to increase his sense of hearing. He focused in on what he thought to be breathing. _Gotcha..._

Donnie walked through the open doorway to his right. "Hello?" he said aloud. "I know you're there. Come out now and you won't be hurt."

He heard movement to his left, something fell to the floor. He turned quickly and swung a hand to his staff poking out of his shell. His leg slid out and he lowed his stance. But nothing was there besides a closed closet door. Keeping a hand on his staff, he stepped over to the closet door. Being careful as to not alert the possible enemy to his knowing of their position. He stopped in front of the door, and placed his hand on the handle.

He swung it open and pulled out his staff, pointing it at the open door. But inside was no enemy. A small girl was sitting inside on a pile of clothes. She was shaking with fear, her body turned towards the wall behind her to protect herself. Fear was in her eyes, and her knees were tucked into her chest.

"Little girl...you alright?" he asked, genuinely concerned for her well being. He placed his hand out, offering to help her up and out of the closet. "Come on little girl. I'm not gonna hurt ya."

She reached out and took his hand. "My name is Bella." she said, her voice trembling. She was still scared, but more trusting. Donnie pulled her out of the closet.

"Where are your parents Bella?" he asked.

"I...I don't know. They told me to stay here 2 days ago, and they never came back."

"You've been here for 2 days all by yourself?"

"Yeah..." was all she said.

"Have you eaten anything?" he asked, more concerned now than after hearing how long she'd been alone.

"No..." another one word answer.

"Come on Bella, I don't think your parents are coming back." he said, his voice low now, saddened by her story. _This world has turned to shit..._he thought to himself. "How old are you anyway?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood a little.

"I'm 12 years old." she said, she seemed tired, her eyes were drooping and she wobbled as stood up. It was most likely shock though.

"Come here..." he said with a grunt, swooping her up as she fell next to him. He couldn't just leave her there. She was just a small girl after all.

He picked up the girl in his arms and carried her out of the room. Her head was curled up against his chest, his right arm under her back and her legs swung over left arm. He walked through the door and back into the hallway. He continued down the hallway, as he was before, but he passed a doorway. He stopped and looked through the doorway, sickened by what he saw.

Inside were 2 dead bodies, that of a man and a woman. Both their necks were slit open, and their bodies stripped naked. More than likely they had been killed by looters, stripped for their belongings. Donnie assumed they were that of the young girl's parents. Thank god she hadn't had to have seen that. It was a gruesome sight.

Donatello continued on, turning his back to push open the door at the end of the hall. He backed through and kicked the door closed behind him. He walked up the steps, one stair at a time. Being careful as to not disturb the girl, she'd been through enough and deserved some rest. Donnie kicked open the door at the top of the steps, it swung open and came to a halt on the other side of its hinges.

Donnie walked out into the night, stepping onto the roof of the building. It was cold, and a breeze blew, sending a chill down Donnie's back. The young girl curled up closer to Donatello, trying to keep warm. He laid her down on the roof as gently as possible. Getting down on one knee so as to not disturb as best he could. He reached into his bag and pulled out a small blanket. The same blanket Splinter had given to him when he was named a disciple for practicing the way of the Martial Arts. He knew would come soon enough, and had only taken the blanket as a sentiment. But now it had a true place, a true purpose. He would train this girl.

Donatello spread the blanket out, and placed it over Bella. She snuggled up underneath it. Donatello sat down and began his nightly meditation. Tomorrow would be a new beginning.


	4. Chapter 3: Only Each Other

Chapter 3

Bella cracked her eyes open, but it was still dark out. Maybe just past dawn. The sun was just coming over the horizon, and the sudden light had just barely made her body want to wake up. She let out a cute little yawn, a squeak coming with it. She never used to wake up this early, not when life was still normal, when the world was still normal. And quite frankly, she still wasn't used to it.

She took a moment, let herself adjust to her surroundings. She could tell she was outside, which she didn't remember. Why would she be outside? Last she remembered...

...then it happened, the flashback. Suddenly she remembered everything. She was with her parents, walking through a house that wasn't theirs. Looking for food and water when they heard a loud bang. Her mom had taken her into a room she didn't recognize, she put her into a closet that she didn't know and told her to stay there. She told her to stay quiet, and that would everything would be okay. Then she shut the door. And that was all she remembered.

When she came to again, she was screaming, her eyes were closed shut and someone was shaking her.

"It's okay...hey little girl, it's okay." Donnie was shouting in her face. Trying to wake her from whatever nightmare she was suffering from. "Bella wake up!"

She closed her mouth and opened her eyes. Her face changing from pain and anguish to normal calm. She looked around, darting her eyes from left to right.

"Huh? What?" Then her eyes rested on the creature in front of her, the giant turtle. "AAAAH!" She screamed, fear taking over. She kicked herself backwards and slammed into the wall behind her. Her back laying flat against it. "What the hell are you?!" she said, her voice trembling.

"My name is Donatello." he spoke, his voice calm and unnerving. He was doing his best to not scare anymore than he already had, he had seen this coming.

"That's not what i asked." she said. "What...are you?"

"I am a turtle. A mutant turtle, actually. And a survivor of the plague. Just like yourself. I saved you." he said, still trying to keep his voice calm. And it seemed to have worked, the fear seemed to fade from her eyes. "You were locked in a closet, starving for 2 days, i rescued you and brought you up here."

"Where are my parents?" she asked.

"They..." Donnie hesitated, he wasn't sure how to actually tell her. Wasn't sure if he actually could. After telling his brothers how their "father" had died, and seeing what had happened. Telling a little girl, 12 years old, was just unimaginable. Something he couldn't handle. He couldn't see another person kill themselves, it just wasn't an option.

"They're gone Bella." he spoke, his voice soft and reassuring.

"Where did they go...?" Their were tears in her eyes, he lip was trembling, and her voice trembling all the same.

"I'm not sure..." he said. "I really don't know. But I'm here now. I'm gonna take care of you sweetie. No one is gonna hurt you."

"I...I want my mommy...", tears were running down her face now. Falling to her lap below her head. She pulled her knees into her chest, the blanket still draped over her legs. She buried her face into her knees and wrapped her arms around her legs, and began to sob. "Why would they leave me?"

"I don't know Bella, i just don't know." Donnie said, his face looking down at the concrete below him. He couldn't look her in the eye, he just wasn't good at this mushy stuff. He didn't know how to console people. But he could try. Slowly he walked over to her, and sat beside her. Donnie stretched an arm out and wrapped it around her shoulder, and she leaned into him. She placed her head in his lap, and sobbed. Her tears falling to his thigh, and leaving drop marks.

Donnie sat there, and stared into space. Thinking to himself of how his story was almost similar to hers. How he had lost all his family to a tragedy, although he knew the raw truth of his story. And he could not let her go through what he had, he couldn't see her hurt as much as he had. A tear fell from his eye, and ran across his face. Falling from his cheek, and landing on the back of Bella's head.

Donnie placed a hand on the back of Bella's head, and ran his hand through her hair. He would raise her now, train her, and be there for her. That was the least he could do. That was all he could really do.

They only had each other now.


	5. Chapter 4: I Want To Learn

Chapter 4

"Come on Bella. You can do it, just jump." Donnie yelled from across the gap. He waved an arm at her, signalling her to take a chance, and leap. Donnie knew he couldn't just baby her, she needed to learn from experience. Just as he had from Master Splinter when he was her age. This was an easy jump after all, maybe 7 feet, and it was just to a fire escape. Plenty to grab on to and pull yourself up.

"I...don't think i can. It's too far..." she yelled back, her anxiety kicking in. She had almost no confidence in herself, let alone any confidence in her athletic abilities.

"Bella let's go, we're wasting daylight. JUST JUMP!" There was a little anger in his voice. Purposely put there of course, he figured it might give her the kick in her pants she needed.

"Alright, just...just hold on." She turned around and walked across the rooftop. Stopping only when she could go no further. She sat on the edge and got her bearings. _I can do this..._she thought to herself. Taking a deep breath, she stood up, and sprinted. Her feet thudded with every step, slamming against the rooftop. Her heart rate picked up, going faster and faster. A cold swept over her from the adrenaline. She lifted her foot and placed it on the edging of the roof, and leapt into the air. Her arms waved wildly, she had no idea what to do...but the world seemed to be in slow motion. She was almost watching herself fly through the air, and slowly but surely the fire escape was getting closer and closer.

_Alright..._she thought to herself_. Calm yourself, now throw your hand out in front of you._ And that she did, her hand whisked out in front her, ready to catch her body when they met the fire escape._ Now prepare yourself._ Her hand made contact with the cold metal. Her fingers lashed around it and took hold. _Now place your foot on the metal and push off. _The tips of her toes flew down and pushed off the metal and she was propelled into the air. Standing on her hand which was holding her up. _How...how am i doing this? THIS IS SO COOL. _She thought. But she was still in mid-air, she needed to concentrate. _Now place your other hand down and spin yourself around. _Her other hand shot out and took hold of the railing, she pushed off the railing and was air borne just for a second, enough time to spin around and land back on her hands. But her hand slipped out from under her. She wobbled and caught herself. _Phew, that was close. Alright now dismount. _She pushed off once more, and placed her feet on the floor.

"Wow Bella...that was impressive. If you could do all that, why were you playing the part of the scared and helpless girl over there? Was that just acting or...?" Donnie asked, unsure suddenly of his new found protege.

"No no it wasn't i swear, I don't know what the hell just happened. That was...weird." She said, the words spilling out of her mouth in rapid succession, almost as though she thought she might lose them. And she wasn't entirely lieing, that had only happened once before, in her gymnastics class. She didn't even entirely remember it because it had been so quick, it was while she was doing her bar routine, she'd been so scared that world just slowed down. "But come on...let's go turtle man. Like you said, daylight's wasting away."

"You're right, let's move out." He said, and that they did. He stood up from his windowsill and took Bella's hand, helping her through the shattered window. Donnie to the side, allowing sunlight into the room from the shattered window, and surveyed the room. "Nothing in here really, shit..." he said, "Come on, let's move on." Donnie took a step forward, and a scream was heard from the doorway across the room. A man rushed in with a pipe held above his head, and his mouth held open letting out a war yell. His eyes wide with rage and insanity. But Donnie remained calm, he knew better than to panic.

The man dropped his arms, and swung his metal pipe in a wide arc. His ripped shirt showing his muscle movements with the movement of his arms. Donnie lifted his arm with lightning like reflexes and took hold of the man's forearm, stopping his pipe and arm in an instant. His right arm flashed upward, his fist making contact with the man's jaw. The insanity and anger disappeared form the man's eyes, replaced by serenity and calm. His eyes rolled back in his head and his eyelids fluttered down and he fell. Donnie caught him mid fall, and laid him to the floor gently.

"Come on, let's go. There might be more of them." Donnie muttered, trying to remain quiet. Bella crouched down and followed. Her footsteps no louder than the mice that could be heard in the walls.

They crept into the hallway and walked a ways down. But just as they reached the door at the end to get to the stairs a door was kicked open behind them. The door slammed into the wall on the other side of its hinges. Bella let out a yelp and almost jumped up, and a man with an axe stepped out.

"And just where do you think you're going missy?" the man said, a grin across his face that you could almost here.

Donnie stood up and walked past Bella, putting out an arm to cover her. "Stay here sweetie, I'd recommend that you don't watch this." She covered her eyes with her hands and pulled her knees into her chest.

"Aaaaaah so you're my 31st, hey," the man said, a puzzled look swept over his face. "what are you buddy?"

"My name is Donatello," Donnie said, closing his eyes and reaching a hand back. He took a hold of his staff, his fingers brushing against the cloths wrapped around his staff. He counted them as he touched them with his finger.

**One...Donatello**.

"Well mistah Donnie, my name is Chuck,"

**Two...Leonardo. **

"But i prefer Chopper." The man took his axe off of his shoulder, and dropped it into his other hand, one hand at each hand. His left just under the head and sharp blade, blood crusted over across the recently sharpened edge.

**Three...Michelangelo.**

"And I will be your entertainment and executioner for the day." He spoke, and took a step closer to Donnie.

**Four...Raphael. **

Donnie pulled out his staff and held it out in front of him. Chopper saw this and began running at Donatello, his feet thudding down the hallway. Donnie's eyes remained closed, and he zeroed on where he was with every step. Donnie heard Bella squeak behind him with fear, and could almost feel her body tense up as Chopper became closer.

_Thirty feet away..._Donnie estimated, and let out a breath that he felt throughout his body.

_Twenty feet away..._

_Ten feet..._

_Eight feet..._

_Now..._Donnie's eyes shot open in that instant. He spun on his heels and filled his staff with momentum and speed, dropping his body low and closer together to gain speed like an ice skater. His staff glided just before the wall, mere centimeters away, and slammed into ribs of Chopper. Chopper cringed in pain, and his breath escaped him, his face slamming into the wall next to him. His ribs cracking and shattering inside of him. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he lost consciousness, going into shock from the sheer pain. Donnie stood up, and placed his staff back in it's place in his shell. He turned around and placed a hand out.

"Come on Bella, it's over." Donnie said. She opened her eyes and took his hand, using his weight to help herself up.

"I want you to teach me to do that Donnie..." Bella said suddenly.

"Excuse me?" Donnie said surprised, shocked really.

"I want to learn, I don't want to be scared anymore." she said with determination.

"In good time Bella, I'll teach you," he spoke, understanding perfectly what she meant. "But that takes years of training, and practice. Patience most of all. But don't worry, I will teach you, we'll start in the morning."

"Good." Was all she responded, she was lost in thought, daydreaming of all the different things she would learn and all the different ways she would kick ass. She imagined herself surrounded by thirty different bad guys, and just totally kicking ass.

They went up the stairs to the roof, and were not prepared for what they found.


End file.
